Preps Plus.

Family Ties Vs. Coach

King's Cox, Father Of Promising Point Guard Bump Heads

A clash between his father and his basketball coach could result in a change of schools--and addresses--for King's talented freshman point guard Imari Sawyer.

Transferring to a suburban school would be a last resort, according to Terry Sawyer, who is struggling to understand why his 6-foot-1-inch son, considered among the top playmakers in the Public League, will open the spring-league season on the bench.

"There are issues here that go beyond the basketball court," said Terry Sawyer, an elementary school teacher and coach. "My wife and I want to share in the decisions Imari will make about choosing a college and which summer basketball camp to attend. We want to approach everything as a close-knit family.

"I don't think Mr. Cox (King coach Landon Cox) is used to that. He has always made the decisions for his players and controlled everything since a lot of those players didn't come from families like ours."

Cox said he respects the wishes of Imari's parents but that "no one player is bigger than the (King) program."

The first hint of a problem between Cox and Imari Sawyer came during King's loss to Thornton in February at Welsh-Ryan Arena, when the Jaguars' coach benched his point guard for most of the second half. Cox started 5-8 sophomore Shawn Glover ahead of Sawyer at last week's Centurion Classic spring tournament in Downers Grove.

"He has to get in line, just like all the others before him--Marcus Liberty, Jamie Brandon, Rashard Griffith," Cox said of Sawyer. "This is not Imari High School; this is King High School. I'm not giving him special treatment one way or another. His performance at King will determine what will happen with him. I was under the gun last season and had to play him a lot because Glover was ineligible (for violating the Public League's new transfer policy).

"His father is saying all the things Imari wants to hear. I have to say the way it is, the way it's going to be. I've got to be truthful to myself, to Imari and to my team."

It didn't help matters when Sawyer, who averaged 17 points and 10 assists for King last season, missed the semifinal and championship games of the Centurion to attend the Magic Johnson High School All-Star Game in Detroit last week.

"We beat Farragut and then blew out Westinghouse by 20 to win the title," Cox said. "Shawn is playing excellent, and he will be the starting point guard when we face Hales Franciscan in our spring-league opener."

Terry Sawyer does not want basketball to become a year-round obligation for his son.

"When do these kids get away from basketball?" he asked. "We want Imari to come to church with us on Sundays and Mr. Cox wants him to practice. We always spent Thanksgiving together as a family, but the team had to be in Danville preparing for a tournament. Imari had to practice on Christmas Day. In each case, Imari went along with the program because he said he didn't want to be perceived as a disruptive force.

"Coach Cox can run his program any way he wants, but not when it comes in conflict with the values I've instilled in Imari. He wants Imari to go against parental guidance and family values. It was (Peoria Manual coach) Wayne McClain who first opened my eyes to all of this. He told me: `You have to be in charge of your kid's life.' I can see what he meant by the job he did raising (his son) Sergio."

Imari Sawyer, who just turned 15, is caught in the middle. Terry Sawyer said his son has become close to his King teammates and continues to think highly of Cox. He worries that his son's strong academic start--3.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale--will begin to erode if he encounters more basketball problems.

Terry Sawyer has done his research and realizes only a move outside the city will allow his son to retain his eligibility.

"If it comes to that, our family is prepared to stick together and do what's best for our son," he said. "If Imari decides he wants to stay at King and that's what makes him happy, ultimately, his happiness comes first. I'm in a quandary about the whole thing. In my heart, I really hope the situation works itself out--for my kid's sake."